Broken Smiles and Healing Hearts
by but-words-can
Summary: AU fic set in medieval times. Toby is the son of the King's right hand man, Spencer is a just a lowly peasant with a lot of secrets residing in a nearby village. What will happen when their stories are unwillingly forced to intertwine after one fateful night?


**First off, this is going to be set in a kind of medieval era but i don't know much about medieval things. I'm still going to be using phrases and words from our time period and i apologise in advance for any inaccuracies.**

* * *

I watched as the dust swirled downwards, slowly settling after being disrupted by the horses' hooves. The crowd grew silent as they watched with rapt attention. I lowered my visor as I gritted my teeth, trying to distract from the intense quiet pressing down on my ears. This was my moment. There was only one more round. Only one more round until I won. Only one more round to prove to myself and the whole kingdom that I was so much more than just _his_ son. Only one more round until I had glory.

This was my moment.

It was as tough time stopped as I stared down my opponent. The flag dropped and time started again. The crowds started to roar as I spurred my steed forward and levelled my lance towards my opponent's chest. My aim was perfect, I could see the tip perfectly aligned with the centre of his battered, metal breastplate. Just as I was about to hit my target, a blinding pain hit the side of my head. The metal of my helmet buckled under the pressure and I quickly found myself being tipped backwards. The whole earth was spinning around me, the crowds turning into a massive blur of colour and screaming. The ground rushed up to meet me.

My shoulder hit the rough ground causing a dull ache to spread down the left side of my body. I lay there; staring up the clear, blue sky which so many said perfectly matched the very eyes watching it. The pain that coursed through my body was nothing compared to the shame that plagued my mind. I had lost. Completely and utterly defeated when I was _so_ _close_. How could I let this happen.

The face of Caleb, my squire, looming over me quickly pulled me out of my reverie. I dragged myself off the ground, ignoring his outstretched hand and stormed out of the arena. Leaving behind the screams of the crowd as my victor accepted his title, leaving behind my disgrace. Caleb ran after me, trying desperately to talk to me, to help me in any way he could. He was poor and naive, he couldn't understand, he couldn't help. I pulled my helmet from my head, paying no attention to the pain as the battered metal caused as it ripped a gash into my skin.

"Sir, you're hurt. Please, just come to the tent. You have to let us help." Caleb said.

"No, I don't need help. I'm leaving, don't you dare try to follow me. If you do, I'll know." I pushed past him, trying desperately to find something to blame for the sudden stinging in my eyes.

* * *

The houses were dark and quiet under the pale moon. All except one; _The Montgomery Tavern. _It was said to best in the county, but at the moment, all it housed were the last few rowdy knights, drunk and overexcited from a long night of dancing, women and alcohol. I, however, was saved from the drunken idiocies of the knights, except for the few who decided to throw a few lame pick-up lines my way. All I had to do was serve drinks.

Tap on, fill glass, tap off.

Tap on, fill glass, tap off.

I followed my dreary pattern as I tried to locate my employer, Ella, through the crowds. A pair of legs appeared on the bar next to me and I turned to question their owner.

"Before you ask, we're kicking them out in 15 minutes." She shot me a quick smile before hopping off the counter and moving beside me to help clean glasses.

"Thanks, Ar." I smiled back. That was Aria, my best friend. Well, really the _only_ person I could call a friend around here. Even though Rosewood was the largest town for miles around, good people were scarce and hard to find. Aria was one of those few and the only person I could talk to; she was trustworthy, and caring, and I knew she would never judge me for any of the horrible things I had done.

"You 'kay there?" She waved a hand in front of my face. I smiled at her again.

"Yeah, just thinking. Did you say something?" She just rolled her eyes at me playfully.

"Yes, I asked if you saw the joust."

"No, I didn't. You know how I feel about those people, Ar."

"Yeah, I know… but you should have seen it. I thought for sure he was going to win but then bam! The underdog strikes back." She spoke animatedly, almost jumping from her excitement. I tried to pay attention, but the acts of knights held no interest to me.

"Uh… yeah, sure. It sounds great." I murmured. "Uh… so who's 'he'?"

"Who's who?" She said, excitedly searching the crowd.

"No, Ar. You said 'he' was surely going to win. Who's 'he'?"

"Wait, you don't know? He's only one of the most famous knights in the kingdom. How could you not know?" She stopped her chore to glare at me in disbelief.

"Aria." I said, looking pointedly at her.

"Right, sorry." She said, returning to the glasses. "Well his father, you know, the King's advisor." I nodded assent.

"Yeah, well apparently his father has payed for jousting lesson since he was 5 years old. Everyone thought he was going to win, I mean, how couldn't he. But then in the final round, after everything was going so well, it was all over."

"Yeah, well that's usually what happens in the final round." She glared again. "Sorry. Did he win last year?" She shook her head.

"No, this was the first time he competed. He wasn't old enough before."

"Oh well, he still has next year, and the year after that. Anyway, I'm sure his _father_ can just buy all the awards he wants. I doubt he's ever really worked for anything in whole life." I turned and was met with a pair of eyes; bluer than the sky and so deep I could lose myself for a lifetime. However, they were narrowed and hardened with anger.

"Is there something you would like to say to me? Instead of gossiping to your stupid friend." He spoke clearly and determined, despite the haze caused by the alcohol that I could see clouding over his eyes.

"I assume you're the knight? Then, yes actually there is something I would like to say-"

"Stop." Aria turned to him, pleading. "She's very sorry. I swear she meant no offense, sir."

"Aria, I can speak for myself. And I can assure you, _sir_, I meant a world of offense."

"She's had a lot to drink and-"

"Aria." I said, turning to talk to her, but I was cut off.

"Is there a problem here?" A calm, deep voice asked. That was Ezra, he worked here as well. Although his work was mostly carrying boxes and tending to the horses out back, he often took it upon himself to act as security.

"No." I said, defiantly.

"Yes." Aria squeaked out. Ezra looked between us and then turned to the blue-eyed visitor, putting a hand on his shoulder and attempting to steer him away from us.

"I think you should come with me, sir. It's late, you've had a lot to drink and we're closing now anyway."

"You can't tell me what to do. Do you have any idea who I am? Or is everyone in this town just ignorant swine." He said, pushing him off.

"I do know who you are, sir. But we don't treat anyone differently in this establishment, and _you _are being a nuisance. So please, come with me, sir."

"Fine." He said. "I don't care about what any of you think. I didn't even want to be here in the first place. Why would anyone hold a tournament in this stupid little town anyway." He stormed out of the small wooden door and I heard an audible sigh of relief beside me. I turned to look at the small girl next to me, bracing myself for the worst.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She yelled as quietly as she could, as not to disturb the other customers.

"He was asking for it. He had no right to talk to either of us like that and it was a private conversation. And it's not like that was the first or the last time someone insults him. It was his fault for acting like an idiotic, overgrown baby who thinks that just because he has an important father he can just-" She stopped me suddenly by slapping her hand across my mouth.

"Shhh, he might hear you."

"He left, Aria."

"You never know, he might still be in here."

"He's not a ghost, we saw him leave."

"He might have spies." I just rolled my eyes at her antics and moved to an empty table to clean the many glasses left behind by lazy knights. I glanced back at Aria who was now talking to Ezra with a happy smile on her face and felt a rare smile spread across my face. I only just noticed that the tavern had been vacated, and prepared myself for the long night ahead of me.

* * *

I sat by myself on the dark streets, the sounds of drunken townspeople now lost in the distance. The affects of the alcohol were now gone and I was left only with my thoughts. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to look, not realising there was anyone near me. It was a girl coming out of the darkened tavern and she approached me. She was beautiful by any accounts - tall, slim, but that was probably due to the lack of food and the way the moonlight reflected off her skin was almost captivating. However, her clothes were ripped, the obviously hand-made stitching coming undone. Her hair was cut, almost shorn off in choppy waves to a point just passed her chin. She was poor, a peasant. Just like- no, I can't let myself think of her.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you all right? Are you hurt? Do you need me to fetch someone for you?" Her voice rang out in the silence. "Oh, it's you. Why are you still here?" Her tone hardened and became accusatory.

"I'm sitting here. Is that against the law? Are you going to throw me out of the street now?" She looked at me warily before sitting down a few metres away from me.

"Do you need me to fetch anyone? I'm sure they're all looking for you. Can't go back to the King saying they lost the poor, little prince, can they?" I rolled my eyes at her words.

"I'm not a prince. I'm no-one." She laughed bitterly.

"You're no-one? You have no right to say that. Nobody would care if I didn't go home for a year. You? They would send out a million search parties for you if you were gone for one night."

"Can you see anyone looking?" I said angrily. "Because I sure can't."

I turned to her suddenly.

"You know, you had no right to say those things about me. You don't know me. Nobody does."

"Oh yes, poor you, the angsty prince. Oh my life is so hard, nobody understand me, nobody understands how hard it is to go around without a care in the world, spending money, drinking until you can hardly stand. Poor you." I clenched my hands into fists, digging my nails into the rough palms.

"No, they don't know." She turned to look at me, her dark eyes boring into mine for a long moment. She suddenly softened, turning away again.

"I'm sorry. I may have overreacted a little."

"You don't say that very often do you?"

"I don't have much to be sorry for." I turned to look at her, tears now forming in her eyes. "Angry? Yes, I have a lot to be angry about. Sad? Yes. Annoyed, disappointed, a tiny bit to be grateful for. But sorry? No. People around here deserve a lot more than they get and people like you deserve a lot less. I'm not going to be sorry because someone broke your perfect little bubble for a brief, insignificant moment. Because unlike the rest of us, you get to go back to your perfect castle with your perfect family and live your perfect life. So no, I'm not going to feel guilty, I'm not going to feel any shame and I'm not going to feel sorry for the likes of you."

"So why did you say sorry to me."

"I don't know."

"If it means anything, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that."

"You're right, you shouldn't have." I looked away from her, shame rising in my throat. Why was I feeling like this? I shouldn't feel guilty, I haven't, not for years. Why, _how_ was this random peasant girl making me feel like this? Her voice broke me from my thoughts.

"But it does mean something." I looked back up at her, her eyes now glued to mine. "It doesn't mean much, but it does mean something." I felt a smile spread over my face and let out a low chuckle.

"My name's Sir Cava-. My name's Toby."

"Spencer."

* * *

**Okay, so that's the first chapter. I hope to get a few more up but school starts again soon so I apologise for any slow updates.**

**Also, I'm terrible at proof reading so sorry if there are any typos or things that just don't make sense. **

**If you have any prompts for stories just say. They can be any character, any couple and i'll try to write what i can. **

**Thanks for reading.**


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